Normal Again
by Buddi563
Summary: What if the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" really was a schizophrenic delusion of Buffy Summers? In the episode "Normal Again", Buffy's doctor mentioned a breakthrough they had correlating with her death in Season 5. Find out what happened then.
1. PrologueTeaser

**Normal Again**

By Buddi

**Summary:** _What if the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" really was a schizophrenic delusion of Buffy Summers? In the episode "Normal Again", Buffy's doctor mentioned a breakthrough they had correlating with her death in Season 5. What happened during those three months when Buffy came out of her delusion? What made her regress back to her psychotic self and return to Sunnydale? _

**Characters:**

Buffy Summers

Joyce Summers

Hank Summers

Dr. Michaels

**Also: **  
Rupert Giles

Dawn Summers

Willow Rosenberg

Xander Harris

Tara Maclay

Spike

Anya

_Before I start, I'd just like you to know I really know nothing about psychology and I've tried my hardest to research things and make things seem logical speaking in medical terms. Also, the dialogue from the beginning are lines directly from Buffy Season 5 Episode 22 "The Gift"_

**Teaser/Prologue:**

Dr. Michaels ran down the hall toward the room of Buffy Summers. 1630. Something was happening. He came to a sudden halt at her window and peered inside. Buffy was standing in the back left-hand corner of her small room. To the right of her was a bed, mostly taken up by leg and arm restraints. Dr. Michaels quietly opened the door and walked into Buffy's room. She was muttering. The doctor looked behind him in a corner to check her video camera, just to make sure so they can record the episode later. After listening for a moment, he realized that she was talking to her fantasy sister, Dawn.

"Dawn listen to me, listen. I love you. I will always love you," she said. To Dr. Michaels, this sounded like a death. He feared that if Dawn died in Buffy's fantasy, there may be some problems in the future. A few months before when her mother 'died', Buffy became very stressed, solemn, and overall even more mentally unhealthy.

"This is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles- tell Giles I figured it out… and I'm okay. Give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other," Buffy said. Dr. Michaels was in awe. What would happen to Buffy if she died in her own delusion? Would she become completely inactive? Like an empty body neither living nor dead? Perhaps there was really something wrong with her. What if she was actually going to die? Or maybe even it was the end to her five year delusion and a start of a new fantasy. Buffy kept speaking.

"You have to be strong. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me," she finished. After, she slid to the ground, grabbing the neck to her gown. She acted as if she were in pain; as if something horrible was happening. Dr. Michaels came closer to her and knelt down beside her, ready to give her a sedative if needed, but he waited. After a moment, Buffy became silent. She stared off into space resembling her behavior on a normal day. Dr. Michaels had his hand around Buffy's wrist, making sure she still had a pulse. After realizing there was nothing wrong with her physically, he pulled out his light and checked her eyes for a response. To his great surprise, after shining the light in her eyes she blinked, and looked straight at him.

/End Teaser Chapter


	2. Is this Heaven?

_At first I must say hang in there on this chapter. It's very necessary, it's like the chapter with a bunch of info and stuff you have to read before you can really get into it, so please don't judge by this chapter! Thanks!_

**Chapter 1:**

Hank and Joyce Summers came to the institution as soon as they got the news of Buffy. Dr. Michaels, an older colored man with a beard and glasses, met them in his office before they were allowed access to their daughter.

"Mr. and Mrs. Summers," the doctor started, gesturing the two to sit down while also taking a seat himself. "You're both aware of the severity of your daughter's condition. She's been in her fantasy for five years now. Even though she seems to have miraculously come out of it and is responsive to us, she still doesn't understand where she is."

"What happened?" Joyce asked. "Why all of the sudden did she come back?"

"From what we've picked up, Buffy died in her delusion. After that she seemed to have just snapped out of it. The only thing is… she still thinks she's dead. She thinks she's in heaven."

Dr. Michaels led Joyce and Hank into the back courtyard for the patients. It was a beautiful day. Summer had just begun, the air was the perfect temperature with a cool breeze, birds sung nearby, and there were beautiful clouds lining the sky. Not to mention the beauty of the courtyard itself; plants and shrubs covered it with vibrant colors, there was a gentle fountain that calmed the mind, white benches surrounded a clear white path. The Summers' could see their daughter, standing in the gazebo, her long blonde hair blowing in the breeze. She looked peaceful… normal. Most importantly, she looked like their daughter; pre-mental institution Buffy.

"No wonder she thinks she's in heaven," Hank said.

"Now that's the problem," Dr. Michaels began. "When we brought her out here she came up with the idea that she was in heaven. If we would have left her in her room, it would have allowed her more time to come up with a new delusion or a suggestion to continue her previous one. We tried to tell her where she was, but I think she'll listen to you two better. She knows you, trusts you."

"Can we see her now?" Joyce asked eagerly, not taking her eyes off Buffy. Dr. Michaels nodded his head.

It seemed like a dreadfully long walk down to her. The doctor followed closely behind.

"Buffy?" Joyce said cautiously when they were within a few feet of the gazebo. Buffy's eyes widened at the sound of her mother's voice. She turned her head quickly to look at them.

"Mom?" she said, completely shocked. She started running toward her parents and wrapped her arm around Joyce. "I knew I would find you here!" she exclaimed, beginning to cry happily. "I waited; right here. I knew I would find you." Hank put his hand on Buffy's shoulder and she unburied her head from her mother. "Dad," she said, somewhat dazed. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, honey," he said. Buffy was released from Joyce and embraced her father in a hug. After a moment she let go and looked up at him.

"How did you die?" she asked. Joyce, who was so happy to see Buffy responsive that she was sobbing, looked at her husband concernedly.

"Buffy," Hank said delicately. "We need to talk to you, okay?" Buffy nodded and they all headed over to a pearly white bench and sat down.

"Oh, Buffy," Joyce said joyfully, caressing her cheek and staring at her in loving amazement. Buffy smiled back and put her hand on her mother's arm.

"Baby, you trust us right?" Hank asked, wanting to get her back to normal as soon as possible.

"Of course," Buffy replied in a normal voice but with a small bit of wonder.

"You died didn't you?" Hank said tenderly. Buffy nodded and gave him a face as if that was obvious, seeing as she thought they were all in heaven. "Sweetie, what if we told you none of that was real? If we told you that you are very much alive and with us on earth right now."

"I don't understand," Buffy said. "The portal. The energy. Dawn. I-I saved her, I was there."

"None of that's true," Joyce said, trying not to sound demeaning or harsh. "Think of it like a dream. It was all inside your head." Joyce tucked Buffy's long blonde hair behind her ear so she could see the look of worry and confusion better on her face. Dr. Michaels knelt down on the ground in front of Buffy.

"You're very sick," he told her, resting his hand comfortingly on Buffy's knee. "You're in a mental hospital. You've been here for five years."

"N-no, I moved to Sunnydale five years ago with mom," she said, becoming less comfortable. Dr. Michaels was working with keeping her calm.

"You have to trust the doctor, Buffy," Hank assured her. She looked at Dr. Michaels.

"We moved to Sunnydale after you guys divorced. I fight vampires, mommy, tell him. Tell him I'm not crazy," Buffy stated. "You know, mom. There was Giles, and Willow, and Xander, and your daughter, Dawn! My sister! I saved her… I saved her…" Buffy pulled her knees up onto the bench and put her head down, grabbing the back of her head with both hands. She was becoming stressed out.

"Buffy, you don't have a sister. None of that is real. This, right here is real," Buffy's father said as he took one of her hands in his and touched her firmly. "You have to trust the doctor and your mother and I. We just want you back home." Buffy pulled at her hair in the back and let out a small whimper.

"It's real, it has to be real," Buffy mumbled to herself, starting to rock back and forth, now holding the bottom of her feet. "I'm dead. This is Heaven." She repeated, trying to make herself believe it was true. Dr. Michaels needed this to stop, before she could block them out and go into another hallucination.

"Okay, Buffy," he said, standing up and putting his hand on her back directing her to stand as well. "Why don't we go inside and talk, hmm?" Buffy stood up quickly and looked around. Her parents were slightly disheartened by their daughter's unwillingness to believe them. They walked back into the hospital and down the hallway. Eventually they made their way into Dr. Michaels' office. All four of them took a seat around the doctor's desk.

"How can we help her?" Joyce pleaded.

"It takes time," Dr. Michaels responded. "Buffy, you have to trust your parents and me. Everything you've known for the last five years has been your imagination. It was all in your head. This is real life."

"I don't understand," Buffy whined, straining to grasp the concept. "But mom," she started. "You died. I was there when you died." She began to cry. "You were cold and pale. It was real. I know it was." Buffy leaned over her chair and hugged Joyce tightly. Joyce gently patted Buffy on her back.

"It was your mind, baby," she said back. "You made that up, along with your sister, and your friends. None of them are real, but we are."

"You guys aren't dead?" asked Buffy, parting from her mother's embrace and glancing toward her father as well as the doctor.

"We're alive just like you," said Hank.

"And you two are still married?" Buffy asked, looking from her father to her mother. Hank giggled.

"Absolutely," he assured. "We want you to get better so you can come home with us."

"Would you like to go home with your mom and dad, Buffy?" Dr. Michaels asked nicely.

"Yes," Buffy spoke quietly, nodding her head. She sounded a bit embarrassed.

"Then you have to believe us when we tell you what's real and what's not, okay?" the doctor continued. "You need to help us help you. Trust us, okay?"

"Okay," Buffy agreed.


End file.
